Transcription
Welcome to Everyday English Podcast. Hello and welcome to the Everyday English Podcast. I'm Anna, and I'm Mark. We're so happy you're here with us today. This is the place for friendly, easy to follow English lessons.
That's right, Mark. We want to help you feel more confident using English in your daily life. Today, we're talking about a situation that happens to everyone.
Oh, yes. It happens to the best of us. The bus is late. The traffic is terrible. Your alarm clock didn't ring.
Exactly. Today we're talking about what to say when you are late in English. How to explain it simply and honestly.
This is such a useful topic because being late can feel a little stressful. You want to say you're sorry, explain quickly, and then move on. We're going to make that easy for you.
Absolutely. We'll give you simple phrases, show you how to say them, and talk about the little differences between them. Whether you're late for work, a meeting with a friend, or a doctor's appointment, we've got you covered.
So, let's get started.
So, Mark, let's imagine, have you ever been late for something?
Me? Never. Ah, okay. Yes, of course. Just last week, I was meeting a friend for coffee. I thought I had enough time, but then I couldn't find my keys. I was looking everywhere under the sofa, in my jacket. I was about 5 minutes late.
See, it happens. And what did you say when you arrived?
I said, "Hi, so sorry I'm late. I couldn't find my keys." It was simple, honest, and my friend just laughed. He said, "Don't worry, it happens."
Perfect. That's a great natural example. You said sorry, gave a short reason, and your friend accepted it. That's the basic formula. Today, we'll break down each part of that.
So, our first and most important part, saying sorry. This shows you know you made a mistake. It's polite, right? The most common and useful phrase is "Sorry I'm late." It's short, clear, and works for almost every situation. Say it with me, listeners. Sorry I'm late.
You can make it a little stronger by saying, "I'm so sorry I'm late," or "I'm really sorry I'm late." The words "so" and "really" add more feeling. Try it. I'm really sorry I'm late.
Beautiful. Now, sometimes, especially at work or for a formal appointment, you might say, "My apologies for being late." It's a bit more formal, a bit more professional.
Good point. So, you've said sorry. Next, you often give a very short reason. You don't need a long story, just one simple thing. Anna, what are some common honest reasons?
Okay, let's start with traffic. This is probably the number one reason worldwide. You can say, "Sorry, I'm late. The traffic was terrible." Or, "Sorry, I got stuck in traffic." "Stuck in traffic" is a very natural phrase.
Yes, public transport is another big one. "My bus was late." "I missed my train." "The subway was delayed."
And then there are life reasons like your key story, Mark. "I couldn't find my keys." "I lost my phone." "My alarm didn't go off." That means the alarm didn't ring.
Or sometimes you just miscalculate time. You can say honestly, "Sorry, I lost track of time." It means you didn't realize what time it was.
Let's put this into a mini conversation. Mark, you be my friend and I'm late meeting you at the cinema.
Got it. Anna, over here.
Mark, hi. I'm so sorry I'm late. The bus was late and then I couldn't find the right cinema entrance.
That's okay. Don't worry. The movie hasn't started yet. Let's go in.
See, short reason. He accepted it. We move on. Now, what if you're not just arriving late, but you know you will be late. You need to call or send a message. Oh, this is very important. Especially for work. This is called informing someone you will be late. It's much better to tell people before you are late.
Exactly. For this, we often start with, "Hi, it's your name. I'm running a little late." "Running late" is a great phrasal verb. It means you are behind schedule.
You can also say, "I'm going to be about 10 minutes late." Giving a time like 10 minutes or 20 minutes is very helpful for the person waiting.
Let's do an example for work. Mark, you're my boss, Mr. Davis. I'm calling you at 8:50 a.m. because my train is stopped between stations.
Hello, this is Mark Davis.
Hi, Mr. Davis. It's Anna. I'm so sorry, but I'm running a little late. My train is stopped between stations. I think I'm going to be about 15 minutes late for the 9:00 a.m. meeting.
I see. Thanks for letting me know, Anna. Please get here safely. We'll wait for you.
Much better than just arriving late and saying nothing, right?
Absolutely.
Now, let's talk about different situations. The phrases change a little depending on who you're talking to.
Good idea. First, a casual situation with a friend or family. This is the easiest. You can be very relaxed. "Hey, sorry I'm late." "Oops, sorry. Traffic was crazy." You might even just say "my bad," which is a very casual slang way to say "my mistake."
"My bad" is very informal. Use it only with good friends. Your boss does not want to hear "my bad."
No, definitely not. Next, a work or professional situation. Here, you should be more formal and polite. "Good morning. My apologies for being late." "I'm sorry for the delay." And always give a brief professional reason. "There was an accident on the highway" or "the previous meeting ran over." "Ran over" means it finished late.
And then what about a doctor's appointment or a hair appointment? You usually check in with a receptionist, right? You walk up to the desk and say, "Hi, I have a 3:00 appointment with Dr. Smith. I'm sorry I'm a bit late." They will usually say, "That's okay. Please take a seat." Or they might tell you if you need to reschedule.
Now, let's have a tips and common mistakes section. Anna, what's one big tip for our learners?
My tip is keep your reasons short and true. You don't need to tell a long complicated story. A simple "the traffic was bad" or "my bus was late" is enough. Long stories can sound like excuses.
Great tip. My tip is about your voice and body language. When you say sorry, try to look at the person. Say it clearly. If you mumble "sorry" while looking at the floor, it doesn't sound as sincere.
Yes. Now, a common mistake. Some learners say "sorry for my late." This is not correct. The correct patterns are "sorry I'm late," "sorry for being late," "my apologies for being late." Remember, "sorry for my late" is not used. It's "sorry I'm late."
Another thing in English, we often say "thank you for waiting" after we say sorry. This is very polite, especially at work. "I'm so sorry I'm late. Thank you for waiting." It shows you appreciate their patience.
I love that phrase. It turns an apology into a thank you, which feels good for everyone. Okay, listeners, now it's practice and recap time. We're going to repeat the key phrases slowly. Please say them with us if you can. It's great practice.
First, the basic apology. Repeat after us. "Sorry I'm late." "I'm so sorry I'm late." "My apologies for being late."
Now, some common reasons. "The traffic was terrible." "I got stuck in traffic." "My bus was late." "I lost track of time."
Informing someone before you're late. "I'm running a little late." "I'm going to be about 10 minutes late."
And the polite combination. "I'm sorry I'm late. Thank you for waiting."
Excellent. You're doing great. Remember, the goal is not to be perfect. The goal is to communicate clearly and politely. These phrases will help you do that.
Before we finish, let's do one more full example from start to finish. This is for a work meeting.
Okay. So, you arrive 10 minutes late. You open the door quietly. Everyone looks at you. What do you do?
You smile a little, walk to your seat, and say, "Good morning, everyone. My apologies for being late. There was a lot more traffic than usual. Thank you for your patience." Then you sit down and join the meeting.
Perfect. That sounds professional, polite, and it doesn't disrupt the meeting too much. So listeners, we hope you feel more prepared. Now remember, everyone is late sometimes. It's okay. The important thing is to communicate it kindly.
Yes, don't be afraid to use these simple phrases. They will help you in so many everyday situations. And that's all for today's episode of the Everyday English Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and for learning with us.
If you enjoyed this lesson, please help us out. Subscribe to our channel so you never miss an episode. Give this video a thumbs up or like and leave us a comment below. Tell us what situation makes you late most often. Is it the traffic, the bus, or something else? We love reading your comments and we often make lessons based on your ideas. So, please say hello.
A huge thank you to our wonderful community of learners. You are why we make this podcast.
Remember, every small conversation is practice. Keep practicing your English every day. You're doing an amazing job.
Until next time, take care and keep speaking. Bye for now.